Is Deadwater Fell based on a true story? Here’s what you need to know about the crime drama series

Deadwater Fell is the latest crime thriller series to hit Netflix, and fans are desperate to know more about this gut-wrenching Channel 4 drama.

Deadwater Fell is proving to be one of the best thriller series added to Netflix, quickly climbing to the top of the steaming service’s UK chart with viewers eager to race towards Deadwater Fell’s shocking ending and trying to find more about where Deadwater Fell is set.

Although the four-part series was only short, fans have been totally captivated and want to know if the series is based on a true story. Shockingly the creator has said the story was partially inspired by real events, here’s what you need to know…

(Image credit: Alamy)

While its harrowing murder plot might feel familiar, Deadwater Fell is completely fictionalised but elements of the story were influenced by true events, with show producers looking to true crime documentaries for inspiration. 

Speaking at a Q&A session in 2019, Deadwater Fell producer Emma Kingsman-Lloyd explained (via The Scotsman), “We’re both a little bit obsessed with true crime shows which is where the initial thought came from because Daisy said that she wanted to write something that had the forensic detail of a true crime documentary show.”

Deadwater Fell

(Image credit: Alamy)

One particular case that shaped the narrative was Netflix’s true crime documentary, The Staircase. The docuseries examines the real-life case of Michael Peterson who was accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen. The Netflix show focused on the concept of mariticide, which was the key narrative plot in Deadwater Fell